Government Issues

Congress passes $305B surface transportation bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, the Senate followed the House’s lead from the day before and approved a five-year, $305 billion surface transportation bill, which will now be sent to President Barack Obama for his signature, The Hill reported.

"We are one step closer to having the first multi-year, well-funded surface transportation bill in 10 years, said American Public Transporation Association President/CEO Michael Melaniphy. "This is excellent news for America's public transportation systems and the communities they serve in small, medium, and large communities."

The 1,300-page FAST Act bill, paid for with gas tax revenue and a package of $70 billion in offsets from other areas of the federal budget, calls for spending approximately $205 billion on highways and $48 billion on transit projects over the next five years. Obama is expected to quickly sign the measure. For the full story, click here.